Let me see you stripped down to the bone
by smaragdbird
Summary: Coulson believes Clint just wants something from him while Clint's in love with Coulson (Clint/Coulson)


"Hey, Phil", Clint smiled when he opened the door to Phil's office. "We have dinner plans, remember?"

Phil, who hadn't looked up from by paperwork for the last couple hours going by the stiff way he held his neck, gave him a panicked look.

"I'm sorry, I should have…it's an hour too late, I'm sorry ", he moved frantically, wincing when he moved his neck too fast.

"Phil, Phil, relax", Clint moved around the desk and put his hands on Phil's shoulders, pushing him down onto his chair again. "Hit me with the paperwork and we'll be out of here before sunrise."

"You don't need to do that. I shouldn't have let you down, I'm sorry. I don't know why you put up with me."

"Are you kidding? I'm lucky to have you. You're smart and adorable and kind. And while your tendency to jump of Death's horse at the last moment will make me prematurely white you're the only person I want to go white with. You can make Tony shut up and Natasha smile and you make me happy, very, very happy", Clint listed off without a second thought. The actual list was longer but he figured this would do for now.

"What do you want then?" Phil asked, clearly anxious. It unsettled Clint more than anything else could have.

"I want you", Clint smiled. "I thought I made that quite obvious. But I'm happy to show you again."

"Clint, I mean it. What do you want?"

"I want you", Clint's grin turned a little helpless.

"There's more than that. What is it? A favour? A certain mission? You don't have to put up with me all these times. You can just tell me. I won't deny you. What you did was more than enough."

"Phil, I don't get you", Clint said honestly if confused. "I'm not sleeping with you because I want a favour or to get out of paperwork or anything else. I just want you."

"No one just wants me", Phil said with absolute conviction.

Clint stared at him with disbelief. "Phil…" He felt helpless. Gently putting his arms around Phil's neck, he pulled him closer. "Whoever told you that was wrong. Hell, I'd go down on my knees for you just to see one of your beautiful smiles. Not to mention the part where you're brave, loyal, smart and a better man than anyone else I've ever met?"

"That's nice of you to say", Phil answered with a politeness that only covered his disbelief. "But it's easier if you just tell me the truth."

"You want the truth? You want to know what I want from you?" Clint's voice was close to breaking. They had gone out for nearly a year now and he had never noticed…fuck, he had never noticed.

"Yes", Phil stood there as if he was trying to brace himself against a blow.

"I want you to be happy."

Phil gave him a look as if Clint was being deliberately difficult.

"I want you to be happy", Clint repeated forcefully.

"Clint, I just want the truth."

"That is the truth!" Clint yelled before he could stop himself. "I fucking love you and I can't believe I didn't see this before. I waited for years to make a move on you so we could have a friendship that would support our relationship. I'm in for this for the long haul, for the good times, the bad times, everything."

Clint realised belatedly that Phil was crying. He held him close, leaning his forehead against Phil's temple.

"You can't just say these things", Phil said.

"I can", Clint replied. "And I'll repeat them every single day until you believe me."

"I want to believe you", Phil confessed so quietly that Clint almost didn't hear him. "But I can't."

"I'm a patient guy", Clint said and kissed him.

/

"I want Phil's ex's head on a spike", Clint announced as he marched into Fury's office. After Phil had gone to work this morning Clint had wheedled Tony into hacking into Phil's file, the version only Fury had access to. There were six months in Phil's professional life that were unaccounted for and coincided with his relationship with a guy named Brian Green. "After he's been tarred, feathered and spent some time in a North Korean prison. Or we could give him to Hydra for experimentation. Actually, let's do both."

"Why don't you come in Agent Barton?" Fury drawled.

"I'm serious. I want his fucking head", Clint growled.

"What makes you think I haven't tried to sell that particular idea to Agent Coulson before?"

"Because Phil is all though on the outside and soft on the inside? Apart from being emotionally abused by an ex that I want rotting in the deepest circle of hell?"

"I already took care of him, Agent Barton. But I can't take care of Phil, not in that way. That's your job now and I swear if you fail what happened to Phil's ex won't be comparable to what will happen to you."

Clint looked Fury in the eyes when he said, "I love him, sir."

"That's good to know Agent Barton. I'll hold you to that."

It wasn't an ending. It wasn't even happy but in time, they might learn to be so.


End file.
